Call for Abstracts!
\n90s Alternative and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Heart-Shaped Box
\nEdited by Joshua Heter and Richard Greene
\nAbstracts are sought for a collection of essays on any philosophical topic related to 90s alternative rock which may also include a number of subgenres (e.g.\, grunge\, indie rock\, emo\, 3rd wave punk &\; ska\, pop punk\, nu metal &\; rap-rock\, brit-pop\, shoegaze\, industrial\, neo-psychedelia\, etc.) \; to be published with McFarland &\; Co. Publishers Inc. \;Potential contributors may want to examine previous volumes from Heter and Greene: Punk Rock and Philosophy: Research and Destroy (2022) and Post-Punk and Philosophy: Rip it Up and Think Again (2024). Abstracts and eventual essays should be written for an educated but non-specialized audience (with an approximate length of 3\,000 &ndash\; 3\,500 words). Potential topics include (but are not limited to)&hellip\;
\n- What is &ldquo\;alternative&rdquo\; music? Is it the type of thing that can be defined? Or\, do you just know it when you hear it? What exactly is it an &ldquo\;alternative&rdquo\; to?
\n- Can pop punk be good punk? Does the notion of pop punk even make sense?
\n- Why do we listen to such sad and depressing songs (e.g.\, like those in grunge and emo)?
\n- What does it mean to &ldquo\;sell out&rdquo\;? Is selling out inherently bad? Is being &ldquo\;indie&rdquo\; inherently good?
\n- What is nihilism (and should I be worried if I&rsquo\;m a nihilist)?
\n- What is the draw some people have to angry music like nu metal and rap rock? What was the root cause of the Woodstock 99 fiasco?
\n- Is it immoral to listen to songs with misogynistic lyrics?
\n- Tipper Gore\, the Parents Music Resource Center\, and the ethics of censorship and warning labels.
\n- What is authenticity\, and does it make for better music?
\n- What are the values of Generation X\, and are Gen-Xers set up to live the good life?
\n- What is irony\, really?
\n- What is the moral significance of listening to (or creating) music that seems promote violence?
\n- Philosophical issues related to adolescence and growing up.
\n- Would the (more prominent) existentialists from the history of philosophy be into alt rock?
\n- What does it mean to say that a song is &ldquo\;introspective?&rdquo\; And\, can introspection be justified? Or\, should we remain skeptical?
\n- What is cynicism and what made it so prevalent in the 1990s?
\n- Is self-loathing ever rational?
\n- What is the philosophical significance of the DIY ethos of Lollapalooza?
\n- Is commercialism in art necessarily a bad thing?
\n- What is disillusionment\, and is it (or can it be) a virtue?
\n- What is cultural appropriation (and is it always bad)? Is rap-rock a natural result of a healthy melting-pot society\, or is it simply just a form of cultural appropriation?
\n- What is sincerity? What exactly is new sincerity? Is it a substantively unique thing?
\n- What are the ethics of (using\, creating\, and/or suing) Napster?
\n- Is it really better to burn out rather than to fade away?
\n- What makes for a good cover song?
\n- Who are the feminist icons of alternative rock in the 90s? What role did alternative rock play in feminist advances in the 90s and beyond?
\nContributor Guidelines:
\nMail abstracts (and any questions) to: 90salternativeandphilosophy@gmail.com.
\n1. Abstracts should be between 100 &ndash\; 500 words.
\n2. Potential contributors must include a resume/CV for each author/coauthor.
\n3. Initial submissions should be made by e-mail as either a Word doc. or a PDF.
\n4. Deadlines:
\nAbstracts due by: November 18\, 2024
\nFirst drafts due by March 2\, 2025
\nFinal drafts due by May 5\, 2025
\n(Early submissions are encouraged and welcomed!)
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